North Dakota is very much beholden to commodity prices. Our state is dominated by industries which produce products – be they crops or coal or oil – of variable value. Oil prices are, in particular, notoriously volatile as our lawmakers in Bismarck slashing budgets to make up for revenue shortfalls are well aware of. This…

Earlier today I wrote a post noting that Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Burgum had, in an interview with a left-wing talk radio show, sided with Democrats on the controversial oil tax reform passed by the legislature last year. As I noted, that would be a tough position to take given that every single Republican in…